do we see a hunt?
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Ingootje
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wilderzone
moderator
I think the smaller animal running after the zebra is a baby wildebeest. They're all definitely running from something, but I don't think this sequence captures what they're running from.
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Ingootje
It doesn't look like a young wildebeest. it is dog-like, and probably a Jackal
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ajg
I agree - too short for a young wildebeest...the shape of the body/legs and those ears back also says jackal to me too. I've collected it to find more of the sequence later 😃
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davidbygott
moderator
Very interesting shot. I agree with wilderzone. It's no jackal - the dark color and sloping back and bobbed tail are those of a baby wildebeest. Anyway, jackals wouldn't chase zebras, they'd get killed. I've often seen a lost wildebeest calf running after any moving object. But following zebras is not a good plan...
On one memorable occasion, I saw a pair of golden jackals chase a calf, which tried to attach itself to my car. When that proved not to be mum, it ran towards a group of zebras, the jackals still nipping at its heels. The male zebra advanced and the jackals backed off but the wildebeest calf stayed put. I wasn't prepared for what happened next - the zebra grabbed the calf in his teeth and started flinging it around and stamping on it, and quickly killed it - as though it thought the calf was some kind of small predator, an enemy. Jackals kept a safe distance till the zebras moved off and left the dead calf, and then they got their dinner.
Nature can seem harsh; but in the evolutionary stakes, a gnu calf that loses its mum is a failure, and a zebra stallion who defends his family against all possible threats is a success, as are jackals who pick the battles they can win!
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phraps
Surely a tiny thing like that wouldn't cause the entire group panic... the thing's shorter than the zebra's legs!
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davidbygott
moderator
No, they would be running for some other reason, the calf just joining the general panic.
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